Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Medicaid Notices Did Not Adequately Explain Why Enrollees Lost Coverage, Court Rules
Florida Phoenix: Federal Appeals Court Finds That Florida’s Medicaid Termination Letters Were Insufficient
Florida has lost another round in a long-running legal battle over how the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis removed people from Medicaid. A federal appeals court ruled this week that the DeSantis administration did not provide adequate notice to people it claimed were no longer financially eligible before dropping them from the safety net program following the end of the public health emergency caused by COVID-19. (Sexton, 11/9)
Modern Healthcare: Minnesota, Oregon Target Medicaid Work Requirements In New Lawsuit
Four states are challenging Medicaid work requirements, arguing Congress violated the Constitution and is coercing states to implement unforeseen Medicaid policies. Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon arguing the Medicaid work requirement provisions in President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax law violate the spending clause of the Constitution. (Early, 11/6)
KFF Health News: Nebraska Rushed Medicaid Work Rules. Then A Cancer Patient Was Told He’d Lost Coverage
Eli McCreary of Omaha, Nebraska, said he had recently been diagnosed with kidney cancer when he got a call from a local hospital run by CHI Health. He said he was informed that he wasn’t insured anymore under Medicaid — and that the hospital would cancel his appointments unless he paid out-of-pocket. McCreary, who was 64 at the time, said he phoned a call center for help. He said he was told his benefits under Medicaid, the government health program for people with low incomes or disabilities, now required that he have a job. (Pradhan, 11/10)
The Texas Tribune: Hinojosa Can’t Use Executive Order To Expand Medicaid In Texas
A week ago, expanding Medicaid health insurance coverage to more low-wage Texans was the quixotic dream of health policy advocates in a state where conservatives have soundly blocked it for years. Writing it off as a wasteful expense, Gov. Greg Abbott once called Medicaid expansion “a tax increase waiting to happen.” But Abbott last week was swept out of office, along with every other Republican on the statewide ballot. Expanding Medicaid could bring up to $10 billion a year in federal funds to Texas and mean health care coverage for more than 1 million additional Texans. (Langford, 11/9)
Stat: Health Care After The Midterms: Medicaid Expansion Now In Play
Three of the 10 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid could reconsider their holdout status now that Democrats have secured more power in state government. (Wilkerson, 11/10)
In other news from across the U.S. —
Axios: Homeless Veteran Numbers See Long-Term Decline In Most States
U.S. veteran homelessness declined more than 50% over the past 15 years, according to the latest federal housing data. The widespread declines represent significant progress in addressing homelessness among those who served, although some states continue to struggle. (Jennings, 11/9)
The New York Times: 138,000 New York City Students Were Homeless Last School Year
More than 138,000 students in New York City public schools were homeless at some point during the last school year, according to new data released on Tuesday — the first decrease since the start of the pandemic. (Haag, 11/10)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Council Approves Agency For Nonviolent 911 Calls
The Baltimore City Council approved a new $16.8 million agency Monday night to divert nonviolent 911 calls to crisis responders. The Department of Neighborhood Safety, proposed by Mayor Brandon Scott and City Council President Zeke Cohen, still requires Scott’s signature. (Pryce, 11/9)
From California —
Fox News: California Bans Some Weight Loss And Muscle Supplement Sales To Minors
Gavin Newsom has signed legislation banning the sale of some "muscle-building supplements" to Californians under 18 years of age. The legislation (AB 2030), which was signed on Sept. 28, covers over-the-counter diet pills and dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027. (Rudy, 11/9)
CalMatters: California Climate, El Niño Conditions Fuel West Nile Virus Fears
When temperatures rise above 70 degrees, tiny West Nile viral particles begin to rapidly replicate in the gut of Culex mosquitoes, which then go hunting for their next “blood meal,” injecting virus-laden saliva into their prey when they feast. This year, California’s warm, wet summer and fall produced the most West Nile activity in five years. As of Nov. 6, the virus has seriously sickened 528 people and killed 32, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Hwang, 11/9)
AP: Santa Barbara Police Investigate After 27 Half Marathon Runners Felt Sick
Police in California are investigating after more than two dozen participants in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon ended up at the hospital on Sunday. The Santa Barbara Police Department said in a statement it opened an investigation after receiving reports from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital about multiple half-marathon participants seeking medical treatment for “unusual symptoms.” Cottage Health said in a statement Sunday that it had a “larger than expected number of emergency visits ... a number of them with similar symptoms of undetermined cause.” (11/10)
